Reinforcement bar

ABSTRACT

A reinforcement bar to be embedded in a concrete structure includes a rod segment, a self-tapping segment, and a head. The rod segment defines a central axis. The self-tapping segment extends integrally from one end of the rod segment along the central axis. The head extends integrally from the other end of the rod segment along the central axis, and is operable manually to rotate about the central axis so as to drive the self-tapping segment to drill into the concrete structure.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Taiwanese Patent Application No. 104218820, filed on Nov. 24, 2015.

FIELD

The disclosure relates to a reinforcement bar, more particularly to a reinforcement bar that is formed as one piece.

BACKGROUND

A conventional method for reinforcing a concrete structure includes the steps of: drilling holes at predetermined locations in the concrete structure; removing swarf, which is formed during drilling, out of the holes by using a tool such as a wire brush; filling a chemical agent composed of epoxy or cement in the holes; and inserting respectively a plurality of reinforcement bars into the holes before the chemical agent is solidified. Even though the chemical agent can firmly fix the reinforcement bars in the holes once it is solidified, chemical reactions that lead to corrosion may occur at interface between the concrete structure and the chemical agent, or between the reinforcement bars and the chemical agent, especially in a humid environment. The corrosion products, e.g., metal oxides, may expand and may result in formation of cracks in the concrete structure. Besides, removal of the swarf is time-consuming and may be troublesome for an operator.

Referring to FIG. 1, another way to reinforce a concrete structure 10 is by the use of a conventional reinforcement bar set 1 that is adapted to be inserted in a pre-formed threaded hole 101 of the concrete structure 10. The conventional reinforcement bar set 1 includes an anchor bolt 11, a steel bar 12, and a connecting unit 13. The anchor bolt 11 includes a head part 111 and a screw-in body part 112 that is connected to the head part 111 and that is formed with an external thread. The head part 111 abuts against an outer surface of the concrete structure 10 when the screw-in body part 112 threadedly engages the pre-formed threaded hole 101. The head part 111 has an end surface, which is distal from the screw-in body part 112, and which is formed with an threaded hole 113. The steel bar 12 defines a central axis (X). The connecting unit 13 is integrally formed with the steel bar 12, and includes a screw nut 130 surrounding an end of the steel bar 12, and a screw rod 131 extending integrally from the end of the steel bar 12 along the central axis (X). The screw nut 130 has a cross section greater than that of the steel bar 12. The screw rod 131 threadedly engages the threaded hole 113 of the head part 111 so that the steel bar 12 and the anchor bolt 11 are securely interconnected.

However, since the anchor bolt 11 has to be installed in the pre-formed threaded hole 101 of the concrete structure 10 before engagement of the steel bar 12 and the anchor bolt 11, the reinforcement operation is relatively time-consuming and attention-demanding. Furthermore, since the anchor bolt 11 and the steel bar 12 are manufactured independently, a relatively high precision is required to ensure that the engagement between the head part 111 of the anchor bolt 11 and the screw rod 131 is fitted and secure, thereby increasing the manufacture cost of the conventional reinforcement bar set 1.

In addition, since the screw nut 130 surrounds the steel bar 12, the steel bar 12 cannot be tied to another steel reinforcement bar in a closely contact manner. The strength of the ties between the steel bar 12 and the steel reinforcement bar is thus relatively weak.

SUMMARY

Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide a reinforcement bar that can alleviate at least one of the drawbacks of the prior arts.

According to the disclosure, the reinforcement bar is to be embedded in a concrete structure, and includes a rod segment, a self-tapping segment, and a head.

The rod segment defines a central axis. The self-tapping segment extends integrally from one end of the rod segment along the central axis. The head extends integrally from the other end of the rod segment along the central axis, and is operable manually to rotate about the central axis so as to drive the self-tapping segment to drill into the concrete structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view illustrating a conventional reinforcement bar set partially embedded in a concrete structure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a reinforcement bar according to the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating the embodiment partially embedded in a concrete structure; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary schematic view illustrating that the embodiment is used for reinforcement of a building structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, an embodiment of a reinforcement bar according to the disclosure is to be embedded in a concrete structure 9 (see FIG. 4). The reinforcement bar includes a rod segment 21, a head 22, and a self-tapping segment 23.

The rod segment 21 defines a central axis (L). The rod segment 21 has a connecting surface 212 having a central portion from which the head 22 extends, such that a periphery of the connecting surface 212 forms a shoulder of the reinforcement bar. The rod segment 21 further has an abutment surface 211 from which the self-tapping segment 23 extends, such that a periphery of the abutment surface 211 forms another shoulder of the reinforcement bar that abuts against an outer surface 92 of the concrete structure 9 when the self-tapping segment 23 is completely drilled into the concrete structure 9 (see FIG. 4).

As shown in FIG. 3, the self-tapping segment 23 extends integrally from one end 213 of the rod segment 21 along the central axis (L). The self-tapping segment 23 includes a main body 231 and a helical thread 230 that extends helically around the main body 231. The helical thread 230 extends from an end 235 of the main body 231 which is distal from the rod segment 21 toward the rod segment 21. In greater detail, the helical thread 230 has a sharp cutting edge 232. The cutting edge 232 has a first cutting surface 233 and a second cutting surface 234 that forms an angle with the first cutting surface 233 (as illustrated by the vertical angle θ formed between the first and second cutting surfaces 233, 234). In this embodiment, the angle ranges between 30 degrees and 60 degrees.

The head 22 extends integrally from the other end 214 of the rod segment 21 along the central axis (L), and is operable manually to rotate about the central axis (L) so as to drive the self-tapping segment 23 to drill into the concrete structure 9. In this embodiment, the head 22 has a shape of a polygonal prism. More specifically, the head 22 has a shape of a hexagonal prism.

Referring to FIG. 4, during a reinforcement operation, a pre-drilled hole 91, which has a diameter smaller than a maximum diameter of the self-tapping segment 23 is formed in the concrete structure 9. Next, the head 22 is driven to rotate about the central axis (L) using a drive tool (not shown), so that the self-tapping segment 23 is drilled into the concrete structure 9. When the shoulder formed by the periphery of the abutment surface 211 abuts against the outer surface 92 of the concrete structure 9, the driving action can be stopped. At this time, the self-tapping segment 23 is firmly fixed in the concrete structure 9.

It should be noted that in certain embodiments, formation of the pre-drilled hole 91 may be omitted since the self-tapping segment 23 may be used to tap a hole as it is driven into the concrete structure 9. The swarf formed is removed out of the hole as the self-tapping segment 23 is driven into the concrete structure 9 via the helical cutting edge 232. Therefore, additional swarf removal operation is not required.

In this embodiment, an end portion of the head 22 which is distal from the rod segment 21, and an end portion of the self-tapping segment 23 which is distal from the rod segment 21 are hardened so as to increase toughness and durability of the reinforcement bar. The hardening treatment may be selected from one of heat treating, carburizing, nitriding, sulfurizing, vapor depositing, and laser hardening techniques based on the hardness desired.

Referring to FIG. 5, after the self-tapping segment 23 is embedded in the concrete structure 9, the reinforcement bar and a steel bar 3 are tied together by a plurality of ties 4 for constructing a building structure 8. Since the head 22 extends from the central portion of the connecting surface 212, and has a cross section smaller than that of the rod segment 21, the reinforcement bar and the steel bar 3 can be tied together in a closely contact manner. The strength of the ties between the reinforcement bar and the steel bar 3 is thus improved compared with the aforesaid conventional reinforcement bar set 1.

It is worth mentioning that the reinforcement bar of this disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned operation, and may be used for the reinforcement of two separate building materials in other construction applications.

To sum up, since the rod segment 21, the head 22, and the self-tapping segment 23 are integrally formed as one piece, the above-mentioned drawbacks associated with having independently manufactured components are eliminated. Moreover, corrosion caused by using chemical agents is prevented. By virtue of the configuration of the head 22 and the self-tapping segment 23, the reinforcement bar can be embedded in the concrete structure 9 in an easy and efficient manner.

In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiment. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number and so forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further appreciated that in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects.

While the disclosure has been described in connection with what is considered the exemplary embodiment, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A reinforcement bar adapted to be embedded in a concrete structure, said reinforcement bar comprising: a rod segment defining a central axis; a self-tapping segment extending integrally from one end of said rod segment along the central axis; and a head extending integrally from the other end of said rod segment along the central axis, and operable manually to rotate about the central axis so as to drive said self-tapping segment to drill into the concrete structure.
 2. The reinforcement bar as claimed in claim 1, wherein said head has a shape of a polygonal prism.
 3. The reinforcement bar as claimed in claim 2, wherein said head has a shape of a hexagonal prism.
 4. The reinforcement bar as claimed in claim 2, wherein said rod segment has a connecting surface having a central portion from which said head extends, such that a periphery of said connecting surface forms a shoulder of said bar.
 5. The reinforcement bar as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rod segment has an abutment surface from which said self-tapping segment extends, such that a periphery of said abutment surface forms a shoulder of said bar that is adapted to abut against an outer surface of the concrete structure when said self-tapping segment is completely drilled into the concrete structure.
 6. The reinforcement bar as claimed in claim 1, wherein said self-tapping segment includes a main body and a helical thread that extends helically around said main body.
 7. The reinforcement bar as claimed in claim 6, wherein said helical thread of said self-tapping segment extends from an end of said main body distal from said rod segment toward said rod segment.
 8. The reinforcement bar as claimed in claim 6, wherein said helical thread has a sharp cutting edge.
 9. The reinforcement bar as claimed in claim 8, wherein said cutting edge of said helical thread has a first cutting surface and a second cutting surface that forms an angle with said first cutting surface, said angle ranging between 30 degrees and 60 degrees. 